Monstrous
by archtech88
Summary: Suel, a shape-shifting beast who feeds on fear, finds himself drawn to a human child named Boh when he attacks her clan. An AU that takes place around Southern France six thousand years ago. As a note, this piece is inspired by both legends of monsters and the movie, so be warned
1. Ch1 Enter Suel

Suel skittered and crawled over the craggy rocks that dotted the rough landscape with the kind of mindless pursuit that only a predator could bring to light. Being a shifter _xhe_ had no true form, but the shape that _xhe_ preferred when _xhe_ was out hunting was that of huge, shaggy beast with curling horns, razor sharp claws and long, thick limbs that ambled with little care over the hard earth beneath it. _Xhir_ mouth slavered and twitched as the rows and rows of knives within awaited the succulent feast of nightmares and fear that came from _xhir_ chosen prey: man.

For a moment, Suel felt a pang of pity for man. They were a poor, divided creature, split between male and female. They fought not only against the world around them but against each other, fighting their other half every step of the way. Nothing like Suel, who was neither, for _xhe_ was a whole being who had no such disagreements to contend with. What's more, _xhe_ was a shifter and a Rakshasha, so _xhir_ might was great and expansive when _xhe_ wished it to be.

_Xhe_ slowed to a crawl as _xhe_ approached the place where _xhir_ prey had stopped. They had retreated to a cave beneath a jutting overhang which had blended into the potted landscape around it. Suel hadn't noticed it until too late and now they took up a guard around the entrance, spears held high and keen eyes searching for anything that might be out of place in the shadow of night.

Suel retreated to speckled boulder near the entrance to the cave and considered changing into something less fierce for a moment, but rejected the thought in the end. _Xhe_ knew that it was was this shape that they had come to fear in the last few weeks and to change form would only serve to weaken their fear for _xhir_. Besides, _xhe_ wasn't sure _xhe_ had the strength to shift back if _xhe _did change. No, _xhir_ best bet would be to creep past the sentries and strike fear into their hearts while they were unaware. It was risky, true, but if _xhe_ succeeded there would be a veritable feast of fear laid out and _xhe _wouldn't need to hunt again for days, weeks if _xhe_ was careful.

After prowling around the overhang, Suel noticed a small pile of stones that had fallen in front of a slit in the rock face. _Xhe_ stalked over to them in silence as the slightest noise might alert its prey and remove some of its fear. Lesser hunters might consider alerting the wretched things so as to cultivate a more delectable aura of fear, but Suel knew better than that. Men were fearful creatures but they were also keen hunters and to alert them in such a manner would make them more dangerous, no matter the fear it generated. Better to remain safe and take in a fulfilling meal than to take unnecessary risks for a slight chance of a feast.

Stone by stone, _xhe_ unblocked the slit until soon the crack revealed itself in full to _xhir_. It little more than two feet across at its largest point and the ends of it quickly tapered off, leaving _xhir_ only the smallest space to work with. All things considered, Suel wasn't even sure that _xhe_ would be able to fit through it but given that _xhir_ options were to squeeze through a crack or to charge at a mass of spear points, _xhe_ didn't think _xhe_ have much choice. _Xhe'd_ spent too much time tracking and influencing this herd to give up now, so in _xhe_ went.

It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination. It would have been one thing if _xhe_ just needed to get in, since then _xhe_ could have hammered at the crack until it burst open. The problem with that approach was that, again, it would have alerted them to _xhir_ presence. Or at least, it would have set them on edge, which could be just as bad if done improperly. Instead, Suel put _xhir_ forearms through first and once _xhe_ was sure that _xhe_ had a good grip on the wet cave wall within _xhe_ began to pull _xhir_ body through.

_Xhe_ was able to shift into a form that was slimy enough to slither through the entrance and make _xhir _way through the crack. The occasion rocks and other blockages that _xhe_ ran into while _xhe_ worked _xhir_ way down made it more difficult as _xhe_ was forced to use more power than _xhe _would have liked to sustain the form that _xhe_ would return to, as it needed to be the same one or they may not fear it as much as was needed. When _Xhe_ reached the cave, Suel shifted into _xhir_ prior form and reoriented _xhirself_.

The roof of the massive cavern was out of sight and the only indications that Suel hadn't just tunneled back outside was the fact that the 'stars' above and around _xhir_ shifted positions constantly, falling between patterns and chaotic blobs of light with regularity. As _xhir_ sight adjusted, Suel began to notice the fields of stalagmites that dotted the floor of the cave and the clutches of stalactites that doted down into view sometimes, both of which were interspersed by pillars that were sometimes as big around as _xhe_ was long. The floor slopped ever downwards and Suel thought _xhe_ could hear rushing tides of water off in the distance. Overhead _xhe_ heard a chattering squeaks and noticed that the air above _xhir_ was not a solid wall of darkness but was rather the first layer of a veritable swarm of bats and other cave dwellers, all of them crawling over each other and competing for prime spots within the caves.

Suel looked up and saw a crest of rock and mud topped by the little fires that were man's telltale mark. No other beast would intentionally mark out where it was in the dark like that, yet the men had no real reason to be afraid. Any creature that charged them head on would perish unless they either had some sort of aid from within the clan or were powerful enough that a clan of men held no fear for it.

Suel got down on all fours and slunk towards the fires, making certain to leave no strange or distinctive shadows behind _xhir_, no matter how dark it was down in the depths of the cave. A couple of time _xhe_ slipped backwards on the slick mounds of mud that covered the rise in the cave, but each setback was met with a deathly silence on _xhir_ part as _xhe_ made sure to not let even the hint of a sound alert _xhir_ prey before _xhe_ was ready for them.

As _xhe_ crested the hill, Suel took a look around to see what _xhir_ prey had gotten up to since establishing their herd the cave. There were little clusters of fire scattered throughout the entrance cavern surrounded by terrified males, females and younglings, most whom hovered near their mothers. The more decoratively dressed males and females gathered around a large central fire while the poorer dressed ones hovered around the edges.

One pair, a mother and a youngling, was quite far from the fire, further still from any other members of their herd. They sat right at the edge of the entrance to the cave, bracing their bodies against the weather outside. The youngling was a lean, hungry little thing whose deer pelt looked ragged. It tried to wander in closer a couple of times but was shoved away from the fires by the other younglings and females, so it ultimately returned and curled up next to its own mother, who looked much worse. He couldn't see a male around them, but assumed it was somewhere nearby.

Suel curled up a lip at this show of rejection. It wasn't right to starve a youngling, no matter what kind of youngling it was. Still, as it wasn't really _xhir_ concern at the moment, _xhe_ turned _xhir_ head away from the pitiful pair and found a spot near the edge of the fire deepest in the cave and waited for the opportune moment, relaxing as _xhir_ large, sensitive ears perked up to catch relevant conversation.

"We're pinned like cattle in here. It's just what the demon wants. I saw we go out and hunt it down and kill it once and for all," said a dark haired, broad shouldered male near the central fire. Suel could sense the passion and lust it drew from the several of the females in the cave and a couple of the other males. He chuckled at its bravado, though, as this male was one of the primary sources of fear in the cave.

"What, and leave the women and children unprotected? It only comes at night, leaving now would just expose them to it," said a lean male with lighter. He had no fear and seemed to be the most alert male in the bunch, yet the other males just laughed. Still, Suel made a note of him. If not for the crack, he would have been correct in his statement.

"Night or day, let him come! I'd like to see him taste my spear," said the broad shouldered male, guffawing at his fearless counterpart. Suel grinned at his statement. If that wasn't a good line to attack at then _xhe_ didn't know what was.

Suel gave out a ferocious roar and leapt from where _xhe_ was into a central cluster of fire pits. The light from the fire danced in brilliant patterns across _xhir_ black fur and the herd erupted in a panic, their fear and panic surging towards Suel. _Xhe_ bared _xhir_ teeth and snapped at a few of them as they ran, absorbing their fear as they did so. One of the males threw a spear at _xhir_, but Suel had taken in enough fear by then that not only was _xhe_ able to dodge it, but _xhe_ was in fact able to catch it in _xhir_ mouth and snap it in half.

_Xhe_ turned to snarl in the direction where the spear had come from and saw the boisterous male from before was the only one without a spear. _Xhir_ eyes were now quite wide and the fear began to radiate from _xhir_ with more intensity than Suel had ever sensed from any other being _xhe'd_ ever encountered. The fear in the males around him began to intensify as well as they felt the fear radiate from the boisterous male.

Suel roared and pounced at the boisterous male, _xhir_ dagger claws fully extended as _xhe_ slammed into him. There was an audible crunch as _xhe_ pushed the male to the ground and his fear magnified that much more. The boisterous male's face wrenched up in terror as Suel feasted on the fear that now consumed him and Suel left him as little more than a withered husk once _xhe'd_ sated _xhirself_. _Xhe_ looked up to see that the other males had backed away, leaving _xhir_ in the center of a ring of spear points. Suel wasn't threatened by them now, though, since _xhe_ could see that their spears trembled in their hands, acting more as totems of protection than things that could hurt _xhir_. This left the lean male as the only one who might hurt _xhir_, since he alone was unaffected by the chaos unfolding around him. As such, he was the next one that Suel charged.

There was no finesse in what _xhe_ did; no attempts at amplifying fear. This was animalistic viciousness, pure and simple. The lean male did what he could, jabbing his spear upwards at Suel as _xhe_ landed on him, but that only served to snap the thing in half as Suel hammered into him. Suel felt the male scrambled beneath _xhir_, reaching out for the tip of the broken spear, but _xhe_ would have none of that. As interesting as the lean male was, letting him survive would only lessen the fear of the others so Suel bent down, opened wide his maw, gripped the lean male's head within it and ripped it off. _Xhe_ reared up and crunched down on it before tossing it aside at one of the other males.

This last show of power was enough to break their spirits and the now the whole tribe poured out their fear to _xhir_ as they scrambled over one another in their attempts to get away from _xhir_ lest they be the next to die. Suel roared at them a couple times and chased them a little ways for effect, but for now _xhe_ was content to just absorb their fear as they ran screaming from the cave.

Within a few moments, the cave was empty and Suel was sated. This had been a good harvest and _xhe_ knew that _xhe_ wouldn't need to hunt again for a few weeks at least. _Xhe_ went up to the entrance to make sure that no one from the herd had remained behind to make some feeble attempt on _xhir_ life. When _xhe_ was certain that the whole herd was running off screaming into the distance, Suel retreated into the cave to rest beside the blazing bonfire at the center of the entrance cavern where the males had been gathered around before.

_Xhe_ had just settled down to rest, relax and recover from his meal when _xhe_ heard a small sniffling sound come from the corner. _Xhe_ looked and saw the youngling from before struggling to move its mother, prodding it and trying to pull it away from the cave to join the others. When it saw that Suel was looking at it, it grabbed a spear that was several sizes too large for it and began to wave it at _xhir_. Suel sighed and got up. It wasn't sporting to use _xhir_ now considerable strength against a lone youngling, but _xhe_ didn't want to risk it trying something while _xhe_ rested.

_Xhe_ prowled up to it to roar and chase it out of the cave when _xhe_ realized that _xhe_ couldn't smell anything from the youngling's mother. No fear, no anxiety, nothing. Not even a wisping dream emanated from the female. It was dead.

Suel didn't know if _xhe'd_ killed it while _xhe_ fed or if the female had died after falling where it lay now, but that didn't matter. _Xhe'd_ chased off the youngling's herd and without them to protect it the youngling was as good as dead also. What's more, its male counterpart had vanished, so now it wouldn't even be able to think well enough to act before it died.

Suel sighed and shook off _xhir_ bloated, terrifying body and shrank down into _xhir_ preferred form; a sleek, bearlike thing with a stumpy tail, speckled fur and short pair of horns. _Xhe_ went over to the large fire and found a large piece of roasted deer flesh and took it over to the youngling, dropping it in front of it. When it didn't respond, _xhe_ nudged it with _xhir_ wet nose until it looked up at _xhir_.

Its big, green eyes were bloated red from crying and it almost cried out again until it realized that _xhe'd_ dropped a piece of food in front of it. It looked at the meat, then at _xhir_, then back at the piece of meat.

Then it kicked _xhir _hard in the shin and retreated behind its mother.

Suel yelped and retreated back to the fire, more from surprise than feat of it. Besides, _xhe_ knew that it wouldn't grow any fonder of _xhir _whether _xhe_ stayed close or far, so _xhe_ rolled next to the large fire and settled in for the night. _Xhe_ kept a wary eye on the youngling as _xhe_ rested though, just to be sure it didn't do anything rash.

The youngling watched _xhir_ for some time, but after a while it went over and began to pick at the food that had been laid in front of it. It was clear that it was afraid of _xhir_ still, but hunger soon won over the fear and within moments it was tearing into the meat like it hadn't eaten in days. Suel mused that it probably hadn't as _xhe_ watched.

When it had finally eaten enough that it could eat no more, it lay down beside its mother and went to sleep. Suel listened to its breath and it wasn't long before its short, desperate breaths gave way to the deep sighs of sleep. Content that the youngling rested and would be no issue, Suel closed _xhir_ own eyes and joined it in slumber.

* * *

**A/N This was meant to be a one-shot, but the more I wrote it the more I realized that I wanted to learn more about Suel and his youngling charge, so I think that I'm going to keep working on it. I realize that this is very different from the movie, so sorry to anyone who came in here expecting something else but I wasn't sure where else to put it so here it went! Feel free to leave a review if you like it!**

**A/N 14 July 2014 Made a few changes since I first put this out there. Might read a bit differently than before.**


	2. Ch2 The Burial

Suel awoke in the morning to the sounds of small, exhausted grunts. _Xhe_ sealed _xhir_ eyes and ears shut so as to ignore them and return to the blissful unawareness of sleep, but somehow _xhe_ knew that the little grunts would continue regardless. Even without hearing them, or seeing the light break through, _xhe_ could sense their push on the air around _xhir_. It grew worse the more _xhe_ tried to drown it out as the air pulsed with the waves of daylight and little patters of sound that made up the morning; the time for sleep was over. Eyes and ears still sealed shut, Suel began to get up.

_Xhe_ yawned, _xhir_ jaw extending and growing larger as _xhe_ opened wide _xhir_ maw. _Xhir_ tongue rolled upwards when it had reached its full extension and _xhir_ teeth grew out a little, curving slightly and gaining more points as _xhe_ worked _xhir_ jaw back and forth the get the stiffness of night out of it. _Xhe_ smacked _xhir_ lips a couple times and pulled _xhir_ mouth inwards, _xhir_ jaws and teeth reforming into their usual shape as _xhe_ did so, and lurched to _xhir_ feet.

_Xhe_ rolled _xhir_ shoulders a couple of times to get the kinks out and then raised _xhir_ rump high into the air while _xhir_ head and chest went down to the ground so that _xhir_ forelegs could stretch out. Once _xhe_ felt all the strains of the night before get worked out, _xhe_ leaned forward onto _xhir_ forelegs and stretched out _xhir_ hind legs to do the same for them. _Xhe_ rolled _xhir_ shoulders one more time and shook out each leg individually to loosen them up.

When _xhe_ finally felt relaxed enough to face the day, Suel reformed _xhir_ eyes and ears. _Xhir_ eyes were easy enough. With them _xhe_'s just pulled _xhir_ eyes back into _xhir_ head and closed the eyeholes with a layer of bone slab and skin. Therefore to recreate said eyes, _xhe_ just opened the eyeholes back up and willed _xhir_ eyes forward to fit into them.

The ears were the tough ones. When _xhe_'d closed them, _xhe_'d flattened the external parts of _xhir_ ears against _xhir_ skull until they merged with the rest of _xhir_ skin and sealed up the entrance to _xhir_ ear canal with a couple pieces of bone. Reversing the process proved more difficult than just undoing what _xhe_'d done. Opening up the ear canal was easy enough, to be sure, but the external part of ear proved to be rather important. He tried to just make the shape, a sort of wolf-like thing with the occasional wrinkle here and there, but it seemed that the sounds weren't quite what he was used to. They had an odd echo to them and the little sounds _xhe_'d heard before seemed to double when he heard them.

He reared up on _xhir_ hind legs and stretched out a hand to grab one of the chattering bats from the roof of the cave. It fluttered about in _xhir_ hand, chattering incessantly as he felt it's ears and changed _xhir_ own to match. The sounds of the cave amplified and were almost deafening now, so Suel made a note to work out the ears so that the sound was less blazing while he placed the bat back where _xhe_'d plucked it from.

He retracted _xhir_ leg and spent a couple minutes ensuring that it was a match for the other one before he set out towards the noise _xhe_'d heard before because it had taken _xhir_ some time putting this body together. While he was still adapting to it, he intended to make it _xhir_ primary body for the foreseeable future so he wanted to ensure that he could remember what it was.

_Xhir_ peers tended to shed forms like mortal, mundane beasts shed fur for summer, but Suel knew that constant, regular forms, while dull, meant less energy expended. That in turn meant _xhe_ didn't need to hunt as often as _xhir_ flashier peers had to, so there was less risk to _xhir_ starving in the long run. A three headed, fire breathing dragon was all well and good, but that fire had to come from somewhere and until Suel figured out a practical way to create that sort of thing it was more prudent to just appear vicious and nasty. Besides, a few shadows in the dark and a well placed roar worked just as well most of the time.

Suel shook the dirt out from _xhir_ matted fur and ambled over to the entrance of the cave, where _xhe_ found the youngling, much to _xhir_ surprise, awake and alert. What's more, she seemed to be hard at work on a project with no male input. It was attempting to carry rocks the size of it's head into the cave. _Xhe_ sat down next to a collection of stalagmites at the front of the cave that gave its entrance the appearance of a large, toothy beast and watched it work.

It stumbled every couple of steps as the stones it picked continued to be larger than was practical for it but the youngling never cried out. Even if it dropped one, it would just pick it back up with a grunt and continue to stagger towards the cave.

Suel grumbled and then surged towards the youngling, shifting _xhir_ mouth and throat as _xhe_ did before. "What doing?" _xhe_ tried to ask in a calm, steady tone. What came out was "Wh'r d'ning?" in a low, raspy tone. _Xhe_ clicked _xhir_ teeth together a couple of times and frowned. _Xhe_ wasn't sure how to make man sounds just yet and it seemed that the large teeth _xhe_ was used too wouldn't do.

The youngling dropped the stone it was carrying, gave out a little shriek when it heard _xhir_ and jumped back from where it was and prepared to run from the monstrous sound. When it realized who'd spoken, Suel saw it tense up and then relax again when it became apparent that _xhe_ wasn't about to do anything to it.

"I'm burying my mother. The shaman said that dead people have to be buried in the ground so that they can join the Earth Mother, but I haven't been able to find the right things to dig a good pit, so I'm going to build a mound over her instead. I hope that's ok."

"H'w? St'l hrer." Suel asked with another frown. _Xhe_'d thought that _xhir_ mouth would work this time, but it seemed that wasn't the case. _Xhe_ prodded _xhir_ tounge at _xhir_ protruding fangs and began to reshape _xhir_ mouth again. _Xhe_ knew that _xhe_ wouldn't need to speak like this often, but _xhe_ figured that so long as _xhe_ was speaking _xhe_ would do it properly.

The youngling just shuffled its feet, hesitating before speaking. "I don't know, that's why I need to bury her."

Suel stared at her and looked over to the youngling's mother where she lay, now half covered with rocks of various sizes. The female's eyes had a bleak, glassy look to them and her skin was now pail and patchy where the decay had set in. _Xhe_ heaved a heavy sigh and refocused _xhir_ eyes, forcing _xhir_ second sight into the fore and looked harder at her.

As before, the most prevalent emotions in the cave came from the youngling, filling the cave with a wash of apprehension, despair, longing and trace amounts of hope. There was a smattering of emotions emanating from the comatose body of the boisterous male, but nothing nearly as strong as what came from the youngling.

When _xhe_ focused on the dead female, _xhe_ didn't expect any emotions nor did _xhe_ see them. What _xhe_ was looking for now were the slivers of memories that were left behind in a dead body. Emotions surrounding a particularly powerful event curdled into memories. The more powerful a memory was, the higher the chances were that it would remain behind and sink into the well of other memories.

_Xhir_ thoughts were that if anything was to be taken from a dead body, it would be those memories. They didn't have much sustenance in them, but if something was desperate enough, anything would help. It was dangerous though, as the memories would merge with whatever ate them, which is why Suel made a point of avoiding the dead. Still, it seemed that the memories hadn't been tampered with.

"Wh'n?" said Suel when _xhe_ looked back at the youngling.

The youngling had picked up the rock that it had dropped and was now amblingly over to where it's mother was once again. "When what?" asked the youngling, not glancing over at _xhir_ at all.

"Wh'n w'l E'rth M'th'r t'k? Mem'ries 'n spr't r'main," said Suel, snapping _xhir_ mouth open and closed several times in anger at its refusal to make the right sounds. _Xhe_ padded up to the youngling and once it set it's rock down on the pile _xhe_ grabbed it, spun it around and reached up to examine it's mouth. _Xhe_ clamped _xhir_ fingers on it's checks and forced it open and took a look inside.

"Hey!" it cried out, more from surprise than any real fear of _xhir_, and jerked away from _xhir_, but it was enough.

Suel focused on _xhir_ mouth and reshaped it to resemble the youngling's and tried to speak again. "When will Earth Mother take? Memories remain." This time it came out in the smooth, sweeping bass that _xhe_'d been aiming for and Suel grinned despite _xhir_self.

"Why did you do that?' asked the youngling as she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Needed mouth. Sounds not right," said Suel, leaning forward on _xhir_ haunches as _xhe_ waited for her to respond.

The youngling didn't say anything, instead feeling it's mouth and chomping it up and down as if to see if anything was missing from it now that _xhe_'d taken it's mouth. When _xhe_ saw it prodding at its checks with its tongue, _xhir_ shoulders drooped and _xhe_ put _xhir_ head down at the foolishness of the youngling.

"Did not steal. Borrowed. When will Earth Mother take?" asked Suel a second time. _Xhe_ wasn't a naturally patient creature and tried to avoid younglings whenever possible, so this continued delay of a response from the youngling was frustrating.

The youngling didn't seem to hear _xhir_ at first as it continued to prod at its mouth. Suel started to take in a large breath to give a good roar for its attention and had begun to reshape _xhir_ throat so it would be as loud as possible when it spoke up. "I don't know, but I think it's when I bury her."

"Strange," mused Suel as _xhe_ looked on at the dead female. It didn't make much sense to _xhir_ for something to wait for the body to be buried to take her memories, as she would have been easier to just reap the memories while she was still fresh and out of the ground. Burying it would only accelerate the rotting of the very memories this Earth Mother might take.

Still, if appeasing this Earth Mother is what would put the youngling at ease, Suel decided that _xhe_ would help it finish what it started. _Xhe_ padded to outside the cave and reshaped _xhir_ forepaws, merging the claws on each hand into massive blades them that _xhe_ could use to hack out large chunks of earth and then set to work.

The first scrape was by far the hardest for _xhir_. It wasn't that it was impossible to get cleave free scraps of earth, since if _xhe_ wanted to get a better scrape all _xhe_ needed to do was sharpen _xhir_ claws into sharper blades and the earth would flow out like butter. No, the main problem _xhe_ was all of the stones and rocks in the soil. _Xhe_ would start in on a good scrape and all of a sudden a stone would pop out and screw _xhir_ up.

Nevertheless, _xhe_ persevered. While the youngling might have been content to just bury its mother under a mound of rocks, Suel felt that if one were supposed to bury someone in the earth then they should be buried in earth, so Suel kept on digging and picking out the rocks _xhe_ hit.

_Xhe_ didn't intend to dig the youngling's mother a pit to bury her in as it wasn't _xhir_ place to determine where she should be buried. _Xhe_ just intended to create a large enough mound of earth for her that scavengers would think twice before they set to work at digging her mother out to eat any lingering memories or ravage her body, as scavengers were wont to do. _Xhe_ didn't intend to do that until the youngling had at least covered up its mother with a respectable amount of rocks, though. No sense in overpowering it.

Near the end of their digging session Suel and the youngling worked out a pretty good system. _Xhe_ would scrap away a few thin strips of dirt, enough to expose any rocks that may pop up and frustrate _xhir_, and then the youngling would go in and pluck out the rocks that _xhir_'d exposed and take them over to cover her mother. This way it didn't need to wear itself out going further and further out in her quest for rocks and Suel didn't need to worry about being frustrated by them.

As the day went on the pair of them got into the groove of things. Suel would make a few slight pulls of dirt and the youngling would scramble around to find the best rocks for its mother's mound. Often a previously good rock would be discarded in favor a newer rock only for it to be retrieved a moment later and placed somewhere else in the mound. It was slow going and the day was well past noon by the time that the youngling's mother had even a basic covering, but Suel didn't mind.

All too often _xhe_ prowled around for food and slept for weeks before ambling out to do anything, so it felt good to stretch out and do some real constructive work while _xhe_ was still buzzing with power. No need to stop, or rest, or hunt down some fleshy beast to supplement the meager needs _xhir_ body demanded every once in blue moon, just the thrill of work at a job that needed to be done.

_Xhe_'d gotten so into their progress that when _xhe_ looked up at the youngling to see how it faired, _xhe_ was shocked and dismayed at what _xhe_ saw. It looked to be near exhaustion, swaying where it stood and stumbling with the rock as it marched to put it with the others on top of its mother. Suel stopped what _xhe_ was doing and in a few bounding leaps _xhe_ was behind it to steady its walk. Once _xhe_ placed _xhir_ hand on its shoulder, though, it fell back into _xhir_ arms in a veritable puddle of weariness.

"Rest now," said Suel as _xhe_ pried the rock from the youngling's hands.

"No, I can go like you can," it murmured as it drifted into sleep in _xhir_ arms.

Suel rolled _xhir_ eyes, placed the rock on the pile and then went to gather up the earth that _xhe_'d dug out. It wasn't much in comparison to what _xhe_ could have done if _xhe_'d pushed _xhir_self to dig out a mound worthy of an honored dead, but it would do for now. With the youngling in one arm and the earth in a sling made of _xhir_ other arm, Suel reshaped _xhir_ hind legs so that _xhe_ was no longer a quadruped but rather a biped.

_Xhe_ didn't have man-shaped legs, as _xhe_ didn't need things like that. Rather, _xhe_ shaped them to be like the great beasts of the past, massive creatures that dwarfed even Suel of which only bones remained. _Xhir_ tail reshaped instinctively and acted as a balance for _xhir_ new posture as _xhe_ tromped towards the dead female's burial mound. _Xhe_ draped the earth over it and patted it down, ensuring that the thing would be regarded as nothing more than a part of the cave wall.

Suel glanced down at the youngling, sighed and decided to wait until it awoke again before leaving the cave. It had a right to know where its mother was if it was too tired to remember now. _Xhe_ realized that water dripped from it and mused that while _xhe_ didn't water that much _xhir_self, this might not be the case for man-folk. _Xhe_ glanced deeper into the cave and began to move towards the sound of rushing water.


	3. Ch3 The Cave

"Where are we going?' asked the youngling, stirring in _xhir_ arm as _xhe_ loped further into the cave.

"To water," said Suel as _xhe_ paused to listen for the sounds of the rushing river _xhe_'d heard deep below when _xhe_ first entered the cave. _Xhe_ hadn't been in many caves until now so when _xhe_'d ventured back into the cavern halls within this one, _xhe_ thought that it would be a straight shot down to the river, as _xhe_'d assumed that most caves were just holes, more or less.

When they reached the first junction in the cave, Suel had a sinking feeling that _xhe_ was wrong. Not wanting to risk losing track of where they were, Suel sharpened one of _xhir_ claws into a point and pricked one of _xhir_ fingers, letting a droplet of the fear essence _xhe_'d collected from the youngling's tribe began to fall towards the mucky ground. A few anguished wails rose up from it before they sank into the ground, leaving behind only a sickly green glow. Content with _xhir_ marker, Suel listened for the rushing sound of the river below and went down the passage on the left.

"What's that?" the youngling asked as it stared back at the little green dot of light while Suel padded down deeper into the cave.

"Light. For guidance," said Suel as _xhe_ walked. The swarming lights spread down to the floor now, and Suel could spy islands of what looked to be glowing rocks, although upon closer examination _xhe_ realized that they were in fact little clusters of mushrooms.

"Won't you remember where we are?" asked the youngling, clutching _xhir_ tight as the swarming lights above and around them drifted further and further away.

Suel looked around again and, realizing that they'd left sight of the first light, squeezed out another drop of fear onto the ground and waited for the green glow to appear before _xhe_ responded. "Not without aid. Could remember?" Suel asked the youngling with a smirk as _xhe_ turned back to the business at hand. After a bit of thought, Suel left another drop in a line a little ways behind the first one, just in case the cavern hall was larger than _xhe_ thought it was.

"No, but you're old. You're supposed to remember things," said the youngling, more alert than it had been before. When it started to squirm in _xhir_ arms as it tried to look around, Suel set it down and shifted from _xhir_ saurian two legged form back to the shambling four legged one.

"Stay close," said Suel to the youngling before it ran off into the darkness. It drifted a little ways away and began to poke at a few glowing lights that had fallen to the ground, but returned to _xhir_ side when _xhe_ growled at it _Xhe_ felt it put a hand on _xhir_ side and when it huddled closer _xhe_ huffed in approval. As they walked _xhe_ realized that _xhe_ could feel its hand shiver and dig deeper into _xhir_ fur.

"Cold?" asked Suel, thickening _xhir_ fur coat as _xhe_ spoke.

"No, I'm fine," it said, shivering even more as it spoke. As they travelled deeper into the cave, though, the youngling's shivering grew worse and worse. It twitched at every sound and clutched Suel's arm whenever a swarm of bats flew by overhead. It screamed and gripped _xhir_ arm are as tight as it could when a sudden cascade of rocks tumbled down behind them. When the echoes died down and the youngling released its death grip, Suel turned and knelt down to face her.

"Nothing to fear," said Suel, _xhir_ voice steady and firm as the cave walls around them.

"But what about the noises?" it said, glancing around the cave as if something might leap out at it to snatch it away.

"Nothing but bats," said Suel and continued onwards into the cave. When _xhe_ realized that the youngling was still shivering, Suel stopped, sat back on _xhir_ haunches and forced out a trickle of fear essence out of the cut on _xhir_ hand and willed it into a single sphere before it fell to the ground, then closed _xhir_ hands around it. Next, _xhe_ willed the sphere to turn in _xhir_ hand, slowly but surely separating the raw emotional essence from the tinge of fear that give it flavor until _xhe_ was able to pluck out the fear in one go, leaving behind only a shimmering whiteness. _Xhe_ bound it together with some of _xhir_ own willpower and then handed it down to the youngling.

"This will help," said Suel as _xhe_ handed it to it.

The youngling stopped shivering, looked at the little sphere and then gave Suel a smile that covered its whole face. "Thank you," it said, clutching the sphere close to her chest.

Suel grunted and continued onward, _xhir_ ears prickling as _xhe_ listened for the sounds of running water.

The youngling, emboldened by her new light, began to drift away from Suel and started to wander through the caverns as they walked. It never strayed far but it didn't race back to _xhir_ when _xhe_ called for it like before. It would drift around, poking the swarms of light on the walls and hide behind the stalagmites like they would mask it from _xhir_. Never mind that _xhe_ knew its aura and the sphere lit up the cave like the full moon on a cloudless night.

"Cease," said Suel as _xhe_ dropped a couple more beacons to light their path.

"Cease what?" asked the youngling with a giggle as it dove behind another stalagmite.

"Cease this foolishness," said Suel, turning towards the youngling.

"Mother said not to listen to strangers and if I get taken by one then I should run away and hide," said the youngling as it turned around and began to examine the cave wall behind it.

Suel's eye twitched and he took a deep breath before responding to it. "No stranger to you," _xhe_ said, rolling _xhir_ arm to show the long history _xhe_ had with its tribe.

"Then what's your name? Everyone I know has a name," said the youngling with its arms crossed. It had turned around to face _xhir_ again, at least.

"Suel," _xhe_ said and then lay down as it was obvious the youngling was having fair too much fun to leave this cavern just yet. _Xhe_ waited a moment for the youngling to speak up before _xhe_ asked it "Yours?"

The youngling didn't say anything and its giggles died away. Suel saw the sphere of light dip down and still. It mumbled something that not even Suel's ear could make out.

"What?" _xhe_ asked as _xhir_ ears pricked up and stood at full attention.

The youngling mumbled something even quieter this time. The only reason _xhe_ knew that it had spoken at all because _xhe_ saw its shadow move. _Xhe_ lumbered to _xhir_ feet and padded over to where it stood. It was starring at the ground and looked like the saddest clown in the world. "What is name?" _xhe_ asked, _xhir_ voice soft as he leaned in close to hear it.

"They call me a lot of names, like witch, or demon girl, or mistake," said the youngling as it focused on a spot on the ground. It didn't meet Suel's eyes and sniffled.

Suel sat back on _xhir_ haunches again and thought about what it said before speaking. "False names and lies. What is true name?" Suel asked the youngling. A true name was the thing and the whole of the thing. It told the world what it was, what it is and what it may yet be, and all beings had one.

The youngling bit its lip and then shook its head. "I don't know. They haven't given me a name yet," said the youngling.

Suel snorted. "All things named. Will find name," said Suel, frustrated at the girl-child's tribe for being unable to do even this simple task for her.

The sniffling stopped. "How?" asked the youngling as it looked up at Suel with wide, wet eyes.

"Will look inside," said Suel with the kind of finality that was used to declare that someone had just become chief above all clans or that the world was about to end.

The girl-child didn't' say anything more but she did at last start to move again. _Xhe_ in turn shuffled to _xhir_ feet and shook off the mud of the cave floor beneath _xhir_. _Xhe_ twitched _xhir_ ears to pick out where the loudest flow of water was coming from.

_Xhe_ began to move onwards when something occurred to _xhir_. "What is a girl?" he asked the youngling, looking back to see where it was.

The youngling giggled. "Me. I'm a girl."

Suel rolled _xhir_ eyes. "Yes, but what is a girl? Male? Female? Something else?" he asked again.

The youngling laughed aloud. "You mean you don't know? I thought demons like you knew everything about us. I'm a female, I guess," she said with a shrug.

Suel furrowed _xhir_ brows. "Female youngling?" he asked, sounding the words out slowly as he spoke them. _Xhe_'d thought that they only took on male and female parts when they got older, like frogs.

"Yeah, a girl child," the youngling, well, girl-child said with a shrug of its, no, her shoulders.

_Xhe_ dropped more markers and then turned to the girl-child. "Come now," _xhe_ said as _xhe_ lumbered deeper into the cave.

The girl-child raced up to _xhir_ and held her little light aloft. The chattering bats that swarmed over the roof of the cave would sometimes flutter around it like moths only to soar back up to their home above. The girl-child shrieked the first time it happened but the screams turned to laughs as the bats did it again and again.

"What are you?" asked the girl-child as they passed under another swarm of bats.

"Explain," said Suel as he sniffed for the wet smell of the river.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" asked the girl-child.

Suel began shake _xhir_ head when _xhe_ realized she'd given _xhir_ two options."Boy is male, yes?" asked Suel.

"Mhm," said the girl-child with a perky nod.

"Neither. Shifters are whole things, not a half creatures split between male and female, like men are," said Suel as he went back to sniffing for the river.

"Yeah, but what are you? A he or a she?" asked the girl-child, either not understanding just or refusing to.

Suel sighed. "_Xhe_. A _Xhe_."

"A chee?" asked the girl-child, trying and failing to sound the word out in her both.

"_Xhe_," Suel said again, slower this time.

"CHee," said the girl-child.

"Close enough," said Suel, giving up and moving deeper into the cave as the girl-child began to run about the caverns again. Now, though, she seemed determined to stay near Suel and came back when _xhe_ called it because it was straying too far afield. This was more and more the case as the caverns grew bigger and bigger as they went further into the cave. Suel couldn't be sure where a drop off might be and so when they finally got close to the rushing and crashing sound of the underground river Suel kept the girl-child near _xhir_ at all times.

When the cave floor as it gave way to air, _xhe_ looked down and saw the river rushing by beneath them. _Xhe_ stopped and called the girl-child over to _xhir_.

"Hold close," said Suel as _xhe_ pulled the girl-child towards _xhir_ chest.

"Ok, but why?" asked the girl-child as she gripped at _xhir_ fur.

Suel grew _xhir_ fur out a little more so that she was in a good grip and then leapt over the edge. _Xhir_ arms and legs shifted into two massive pairs of wings the moment _xhe_ left the ground and _xhe_ glided down to the river below, the girl-child screaming with glee all the while.

It was only as _xhe_ found that _xhe_ couldn't control _xhir_ decent that _xhe_ realized _xhe_ didn't have enough wind under _xhir_ wings to avoid smashing into the river. Suel knew that _xhe_ would survive but it would cause unneeded stress on the girl-child, so _xhe_ furled _xhir_ lower wings around her and dove into the water.

The wash of cold water was a shock, although it was one _xhe_ should have expected. _Xhe_ shifted _xhir_ front wings back into arms and _xhir_ hind wings back into legs and then began to swim to shore. _Xhe_ plucked the girl-child away from _xhir_ chest and lifted her out above the river so that _xhe_ didn't drown her by accident. She gasped a couple times and shivered while Suel ambled up to the shore with her in hand.

"So cold," she said over and over once Suel set her down on the bank of the underground river, clutching at her chest and rubbing it in an attempt to warm up. The sphere of light slipped out of her fingers and began to roll forgotten towards the river.

Suel shook _xhir_self dry and forced the cut on _xhir_ hand open again. _Xhe_ let more of the fear essence flow out, separating out the fear as before. _Xhe_ then plucked out a pair of treasured memories from _xhir_ mind, one of warm times in the summer and another of basking in the glowing heat of a forest fire. _Xhe_ had enough to spare and the girl-child needed the warmth more than _xhe_ did.

_Xhe_ pruned the memories until _xhe_ could feel the heat of them radiate outwards and then bound them together with the purified essence. Next _xhe_ wound the fear into a string tight enough that none of it would leak out and attached the little ball of warmth to it. Then _xhe_ turned to the girl-child and gave what _xhe_'d crafted to her. "Keep warm," _xhe_ said before going back to the river to get a drink.

The girl-child stopped chattering and went to join _xhir_ at the river. "What did you do?" she asked as she ran her hand through the water. "I don't feel cold anymore. Even the water feels warm."

"Gave warmth," said Suel as _xhe_ plunged _xhir_ head into the water. _Xhe_ didn't need the water, per say, as _xhe_ could call the fear essence up inside _xhir_ to replenish whatever _xhe_ used. However, it was nice to have it on occasion as it allowed _xhir_ to relax and not burn energy unnecessarily.

It was because _xhir_ head was fully immersed in the water that _xhe_ missed spotting the intruder at first. It was only when _xhe_ saw the two little glowing spheres plunge into the river and zip away that _xhe_ realized what was happening. _Xhe_ jerked _xhir_ head out the water to see if the girl-child was still on the shore but all _xhe_ saw was the glimmering lights on the cave walls around _xhir_. The little lights, meanwhile, were quickly dimming as they zipped deeper into the river.

Suel shifted forms again, meshing _xhir_ fur into a sleeker shape and adding a few pairs of fins to make water navigation easier, and then dove into the water. It would have pointless to reshape _xhir_ eyes to see through the water as it there was little enough light to begin with. Instead _xhe_ tried to sense the trail of fear and terror _xhe_ could feel the girl-child trail behind her.

It didn't take long to catch up with her. Whatever had taken her hadn't expected _xhir_ to follow and so when _xhe_ reared up behind her it let her go and tried to dash away, taking with it the little spheres of light.

It would have been easiest to just surface and let whatever it was be, but Suel's ire had been rankled. This thing had tried to move into _xhir_ territory and abduct something under _xhir_ protection. An example needed to be made. Suel surfaced for a moment to let the girl-child get air and cling to _xhir_ back, then dove back under the water to spy where it had gone. Suel saw the little lights disappear into the side of the river. Suel twisted into a thinner, snake like form and followed after it.

Suel paused for a moment when _xhe_ heard a gurgling noise come from the girl-child. It seemed that she wasn't as good at holding her breath as _xhe_'d hoped she was. _Xhe_ didn't want to go up for air for her again lest _xhe_ loose the creature but _xhe_ didn't want to cause her anymore undue stress, so _xhe_ decided to do something _xhe_ hadn't done in a long time.

_Xhe_ twisted around in the water, turning to face the girl-child as _xhe_ did so. She was blue in the face, and she didn't look very well. _Xhe_ gripped her shoulders with _xhir_ forepaws and placed _xhir_ forehead against hers. Then _xhe_ concentrated on her and sent a surge of _xhir_self into body. Her spirit was less rigid than most men were, but that might have been because she was young and growing instead of because of something specific about her. Still, it was enough for Suel bend her body to _xhir_ will.

_Xhe_ was surprised to find a number of potential shapes inside her, though many if not all of them were bound into forms that her kind had long since forsaken. _Xhe_ found a body that would allow her to survive the cold water and within moments her skin thickened and she grew a pair of gills, but when her fingers began to web together _xhe_ pulled out and let her go. _Xhe_ didn't want to shift her too much or _xhe_ wouldn't be able to shift her back.

The girl-child clutched at her neck and gave Suel a look of horror until _xhe_ forced her mouth open and pulled her forward. The water surged through her new gills and gave her the breath of air she so desperately needed. Her horror turned to delight and soon she was swimming behind _xhir_ with ease, bobbing along like a little frog instead of sinking like a drowned rat.

Content that she wouldn't drown or get eaten, Suel surged ahead and went after it. In a few moments Suel found _xhir_self swimming into a small hole, a little pocket of air separate from the other cave tunnels.

Suel could see now that the creatures in the cavern were Ghouls, diminutive shifters that ate whatever they could get their grubby little paws on. There were three of them and they were all different. One of them was a black, spidery creature with legs that ended in three pronged claws.

In place of where a normal spider's head would go, there was an ape's head with a spider's mouth. Its' front pair of legs were bent up, doubling as arms that could be used to shovel food into its mouth. A quick glance at the shifting memories on its surface told Suel that its name was Vatun.

The second creature was a toad with one cycloptian eye in place of two. Its legs ended in little hands, allowing it to grip whatever it wanted. This one's name was Keeve.

The last creature was a salamander with an additional set of legs. There was no discernible difference between it and a normal salamander beyond the extra legs and its large form. Its name was Burg.

_Xhe_ knew all of this in an instant, as was the way of things between the various types of shifters. What a shifter was couldn't be hidden or covered up, be they the lowest of Ghouls or the greatest of Asura. A simple look and one knew the other's nature.

_Xhe_ heard voices around _xhir_ but didn't bother listening to them, content to just snap the pair of spheres out of the hands of the creature that held them. _Xhe_ then reared up and roared, silencing their mindless chatter. Once _xhe_ was sure _xhe_ had their attention, Suel spoke to them in Ghoulish.

"Dare to steal?" howled Suel in as _xhe_ reared up in front of them.

They began to moan and wail to _xhir_ in Ghoulish. "Did not mean to thieve, meant only to snatch from the youngling to return power!"

"Lies!" howled Suel, slithering into the midst of them. They tried to scoot away but Suel brought _xhir_ full front to bear, blocking any kind of escape. "Could see whose the girl-child was, yet she was stolen."

"Did not, it was Keeve who did! Keeve provoked! Taunted, lead astray!" cried Burg the salamander.

Keeve the frog looked at _xhir_ two companions in horror and then pointed at Vatun the spider. "Vatun provoked, drove to steal! Would not have done it if not for _xhir_!"

Vatun puffed up and screamed at Keeve, leaping at _xhir_ before _xhe_ said another word. Keeve tried to swing a fist at the Vatun as _xhe_ leapt but missed and wound up hitting Burg. Within moments the three of them were in the middle of an all out brawl, ignoring Suel altogether.

Suel rolled _xhir_ eyes and reached for Keeve, grabbing _xhir_ by the top of _xhir_ bulging head and lifting _xhir_ up above the other two. "An example must be made, no matter who the fault lay with," _xhe_ said, crushing Keeve's skull in _xhir_ hands.

Being a Ghoul, Keeve didn't die when this happened. Instead, _xhe_ ceased struggling and instead began to whisper. "Please, mercy."

Suel laughed. "Have Ghoul mercy," _xhe_ said, throwing Keeve against the far wall of the little cavern.

Within moments _xhir_ two companions were upon _xhir_, ripping _xhir_ to pieces as _xhe_ screamed, unable to defend _xhir_self. Suel grabbed up the two spheres and left the Ghouls to their own devices.


	4. Ch4 Time to Go

_Xhe_ surged out of the little crack and began to swim to shore. _Xhe_ saw that the girl-child was bobbing through the water and sent a hoot through the water to get her attention. She looked up at _xhir_ and began to follow _xhir_ once she saw that _xhe_'d recovered her spheres.

_Xhe_ began to accelerate towards the shore and blasted out of the water, shifting into _xhir_ ursine form as he did so. _Xhe_ shook the water off _xhir_ body, set the spheres down and waded out a little ways into the river to pluck out the girl-child, who was struggling back onto the shore.

She began to gasp once _xhe_ lifted her from the water as _xhe_ hadn't taken her gills back yet, but a bit of focus on _xhir_ part reversed that and within moments she looked just as she had before. _Xhe_ plopped her down onto the shore and handed her the spheres.

"Keep hold," _xhe_ said, dropping to all fours and slinking back to a dry spot on the ground. _Xhe_ would never had admitted that _xhe_ was tired by any means but that much shifting in such a short amount of time took its toll on a body and so it was nice to relax.

The girl-child crept up to the shore. At first she only took a few hesitant sips of water, but once she was certain that nothing would leap out of the river to drag her in, she knelt down and took much bigger drinks, sometimes dipping her head into the water like Suel had done, but more often cupping the water into her hands and drinking from that.

Suel, meanwhile, reclined further up on the shore. _Xhe_ positioned _xhir_ body so that _xhe_ could leap to action if need be, but this time _xhe_ was sure that it wouldn't be an issue. Just to be sure _xhe_ closed _xhir_ eyes and expanded _xhir_ sense, looking for the familiar pull of another shifter.

The three small Ghouls in the little underwater hole had since collapsed into one much larger Ghoul, but as it was still sorting out its power and memories _xhe_ knew it wouldn't be worth worrying about for some time. Even if it had been able to gather itself up enough to face off against _xhir_ now _xhe_ would still be able to destroy it. It would be a bit more difficult than it had been when it was three separate minds, but it could be done.

Drawing on the strength _xhe_'d gained in feeding, _xhe_ decided to expand _xhir_ senses even more. _Xhe_ didn't want a repeat of the river, feeling foolish for allowing it to happen in the first place. As _xhe_ cast out _xhir_ mind, _xhe_ was surprised to find a number of other shifters in the cave. Their strength was so similar that _xhe_'d assumed that it the power was innate to the cave, but there they were.

Most of them were Ghouls such as the trio _xhe_'d encountered, and those that _xhe_ sensed moved away from _xhir_ once _xhe_ passed over them. There were a few other Rakshasha and they each greeted _xhir_ in turn, moving towards _xhir_ instead. Deep within the cave there was a pair of Asura, who ignored _xhir_.

Suel pulled _xhir_ senses back and thought over what _xhe_'d learned. The cave's ecosystem was a simple one. The Ghouls ate what little creatures fell into the cave or lived here. The Rakshasha ate the Ghouls and each other if they were strong enough. The Asura ate everything else. It was a sad, incestuous little thing.

Ghouls were scavengers no matter where else they were. The disturbing thing about the cave was that _xhe_'d never imagined that higher shifters would ever succumb to the same base desires as Ghouls had, feeing only on Ghouls or the dying remains of the things that they happened upon. As such, most if not all of the shifters of the cave were only as strong as they were because they been here so long. It seemed they had all but forgotten the outside world.

Suel waited for the girl-child to finish drinking before announcing "Time to leave."

The girl-child nodded, took hold of her spheres and went over to _xhir_. It took her a few attempts before she was able to get onto _xhir_ back, and she dug into _xhir_ side a couple of times, but eventually she mounted up. Once _xhe_ felt her settle in, _xhe_ lurched to _xhir_ feet. _Xhir_ body made a slurping sound as _xhe_ got up and it took _xhir_ a moment to free _xhir_self of the muck _xhe_'d sunk into. _Xhe_ padded around on the bank as _xhe_ searched for a solid enough point to leap from. _Xhe_ didn't want to worry about sticking down anymore than _xhe_ needed to. Once _xhe_ was sure of _xhir_ footing, _xhe_ leapt towards the cliff face they'd descended before.

_Xhe_ hit the cliff with a wet thud. _Xhe_ realized only as _xhe_ scrambled for a handhold that there might be a reason that the other shifters didn't leave the cave. The cliff face was a slippery, slimy mess, worse even than the shore. Each time _xhe_ thought _xhe_ had a hold of the wall, the chunk _xhe_ was gripping would fall away into the river below with a soft plop. It was a battle to stay where _xhe_ was, much less make any progress upwards. _Xhe_ couldn't pause and try to work out a strategy since stopping meant sliding back down.

_Xhe_'d begun to shift out more limbs to grip with when _xhe_ found a handhold. It was a small nub of a thing but it didn't fall away from the cliff when he grabbed onto it. That was also when _xhe_ discovered that _xhir_ hands were covered with the same kind of slime that covered the rest of the wall. Each time _xhe_ tried to grip it, _xhir_ hand would begin to slide off.

Suel howled in frustration and shifted _xhir_ hand, twisting and spinning it until all of the muck was flung off. Then _xhe_ shifted it until it came to a single sharp point which _xhe_ slammed deep into the hold. The hold cracked in half and parts of it began to fall away, but for the most part it held. Free now to search in eager for another handhold, Suel shifted _xhir_ other hand into a scraper and began to clean the muck from the wall, starting from the solid handhold _xhe_'d found and working _xhir_ way outwards.

_Xhe_ began to work at a fever pitch as the ooze fell away to revel solid stone. _Xhe_ crawled up the wall inch by inch, slamming _xhir_ sharpened, pointed hand into the wall each time he found a good spot. _Xhe_ paused when _xhe_ heard the girl-child squirming on _xhir_ back. _Xhe_ slammed _xhir_ hands into the wall to maintain _xhir_ position and twisted _xhir_ head around so that _xhe_ could see her.

The girl-child was covered by a mass of large mud globs and pebbles. Her face was indiscernible underneath the slime that had fallen from the wall. The rest of her was just as mucky and _xhe_ only knew where her arms and legs were because _xhe_ felt her clinging to _xhir_. There was a small spot on her chest that had crusted and hardened but that was thanks to the heat sphere and it existed only there.

At the moment she was writhing on _xhir_ back, attempting to rub the sludge off of her various bits. She was unwilling to let go of _xhir_, certain that if she released _xhir_ she would fall away back into the waters below. She looked pathetic.

Suel shifted _xhir_ tail from the short, stubby thing _xhe_ kept it as most of the time into a long, vine-like shape. _Xhe_ twitched it around to ensure that it was as responsive as _xhe_ wanted it to be, adding flexibility as needed. Once _xhe_ was content with the shape, _xhe_ cracked it through the air and sent the mud clinging to it off into the distance.

The girl-child jumped at the sound, looking around to see what had made the noise. Her shock was soon overcome by muffled giggles as Suel set to work cleaning her off with _xhir_ shifted tail. It was hard going as the heat sphere had hardened enough of it to cake on the grime, so Suel added a frill to the end of the tail as well. Change made, the process went along much smoother and in no time at all her face began to peak out from underneath the thick layer of slit and clay.

Eyes and mouth now clear, the girl-child screamed when she saw _xhir_ face peering down at her. "Your head's on backwards!" she cried.

Suel ignored her, content to finish cleaning off _xhir_ back before responding. "It sees what it wants."

She stared at _xhir_ as he worked. She didn't take her eyes off _xhir_ face. "But it's backwards," she said again, eyes wide as she took in what she saw. "Heads aren't supposed to be backwards."

"Goes where it likes," said Suel, flicking _xhir_ tail over her one last time before _xhe_ was sure that _xhe_'d removed all of the muck from the cave wall. _Xhe_ pressed _xhir_ tail up against her to secure her against _xhir_ back and then shook _xhir_self, flinging away any remaining gunk. _Xhe_ grew out the hair around _xhir_ neck and back as well, lengthening it until it was a mane of fur large enough to cover her face.

Girl-child and back now clean; Suel turned _xhir_ head forward and looked up at the wall of mud once again. _Xhe_ attacked the filth on the wall with newfound gusto and in little time _xhe_ was able to find yet another handhold. _Xhe_ reached out for it and pulled up to it, releasing a tension that _xhe_ hadn't known _xhe_'d had. _Xhe_ pulled out _xhir_ other hand and reshaped it into a scraper, repeating the process each time _xhe_ found a new hold. It wasn't the fastest ascent _xhe_'d ever done but it went much better than _xhe_'d begun to fear it would. Every so often _xhe_'d wipe the muck off of _xhir_ back and the girl-child. Now that _xhe_ was climbing with speed, though, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been.

Sometime later, for Suel had long since lost track of the time, Suel felt the top of the cliff. _Xhe_ reshaped _xhir_ hands into picks and drove them into the flat surface of the cliff, wrenching and pulling _xhir_ body upwards until _xhe_ was no longer clinging for dear life. When _xhe_ was certain that _xhe_ was safe over the edge, _xhe_ hammered against the ground. _Xhe_ waited a moment, leaving once _xhe_ sound of slime and muck sloorping and glooping back into the cracks _xhe_'d cleared. _Xhe_ didn't expect to return so anything still down there would need to be clever enough to get out on its own.

The girl-child, certain that they were now horizontal rather than vertical, poked her head up. "Is it safe to come down yet?" she asked.

Suel crouched down and let her off. She scampered away but never went far enough that she lost sight of _xhir_. Something more here? _Xhe_ was tired from the effort, more tired than _xhe_ should be. It wasn't the strain of shifting, although _xhe_ did feel that as well. No, this was the ache of muscles in action and strain of physical energy spent. _Xhir_ body burned and throbbed, crying out for things _xhe_ hadn't had in ages; _xhe_ wanted food and true rest. It had been so long since _xhe_'d forced _xhir_self to work _xhir_ body that _xhe_'d almost forgotten what it was like. _Xhe_ considered shifting the pain until it vanished but thought better of it. _Xhir_ body hurt, true, but it was a good hurt. It made _xhir_ feel alive.

The girl-child had found her way to the first marker on their path out. She was close enough to it that _xhe_ could see her outline in its light, but far enough that she couldn't feel it. Suel took _xhir_ time as went up to her. _Xhe_ knew there was no real risk in this part of the cave but _xhe_ kept a wary eye out nonetheless. No sense in allowing something to come up from behind, after all.

_Xhe_ ambled up to her and absorbed the fear marker back into _xhir_ body, running a paw over the spot to ensure that _xhe_ didn't miss anything since there was no sense in leaving a trail for something to follow. _Xhe_ looked ahead and spied the next marker. _Xhe_ ambled towards it, taking plodding steps as _xhe_ went. The girl-child had decided to race ahead to it, now sure of her ability to find it and not get lost.

Suel began to regret giving her both the heat and the light spheres but then thought of what she'd been like before _xhe_ gave them to her and thought better of it. She wasn't as curious as she had been when they had ventured inwards, but _xhe_ dismissed the thought as soon as it came. There was no sense in worrying over nothing, after all, and her fears and worries weren't really _xhir_ concern. At least, that's what _xhe_ told _xhir_self. Overall, the journey out wasn't as eventful as the journey in. That's what _xhe_'d expected, but it was nice to have it confirmed. Nothing slithered up behind them, nothing had interfered with the markers; everything went well.

When they reached the entrance to the cave, the girl-child slowed down and paused in front of her mother's burial mound. She paused and bowed her head for a moment before continuing out.

Suel looked at her and then at the mound. While the chances of anything from the cave leaving were slim, if something did find its out it would find a veritable guide of memories in regards to finding _xhir_ herds. This was unacceptable, so Suel reshaped _xhir_ claws and began to dig out the mound.

"What are you doing?" screamed the girl-child as she looked back at _xhir_.

"Duty," said Suel as _xhe_ began to shovel away the mounds of dirt. _Xhe_ felt the girl-child pulling at _xhir_ as _xhe_ began to toss the stones they'd gather off to the side.

"You'll upset the Earth Mother," insisted the girl-child as she continued to pull at _xhir_.

This gave Suel pause for only a moment as _xhe_ considered the Earth Mother once again. The Earth Mother must be important to the girl-child if she thought to warn _xhir_ about it, but _xhe_ tossed aside the notion. _Xhir_ herds were important as well, and _xhe_ didn't want to throw them aside for some creature _xhe_'d never encountered or even heard of before the girl-child brought it up. _Xhe_ continued to dig.

Suel moved the last few stones, exposing the girl-child's mother. _Xhe_ saw the memories glistening inside her body, just as bright now as when they'd buried her. _Xhe_ reopened the wound from before once again and force out a string of fear, spinning it out as it emerged until all that remained was another sphere of light. _Xhe_ then peeled back the top of the little sphere until it was open as a flower in spring with a myriad of petals waiting for something land in them.

Sphere in one hand, Suel crouched over the girl-child's mother and reached a gentle, ethereal hand into her and began to pluck out her memories. _Xhe_ started with a large mass at the center of her being. _Xhe_ plucked it out with little enough trouble but the instant it was exposed to raw air the memories become disjointed, breaking apart and streaming off in to the distance. _Xhe_ was able to capture most of them, wrapping them within a few petals in the sphere. _Xhe_ reached out to snatch the few wisps of memories that had escaped _xhir_ grasp the first time and wrapped them up in the sphere as well.

_Xhe_ turned _xhir_ attention back to the girl-child's mother. The memories began to swarm, twisting and dancing towards the gap _xhe_'d created in what was left of her memories. _Xhe_ began to pluck out clumps of memories in earnest, waiting moments for them congeal before pulling them out. _Xhe_ reached out to remove the memories in her head and the memories from her gut and other low parts. Each clump broke apart a little but now that Suel had the way of it, _xhe_ was able to move the memories from the girl-child's mother to the sphere with no problems.

Soon enough the woman was nothing more than an empty shell of flesh, all memories and traces of her past life now gone. Suel removed _xhir_ hand and forced it into a more physical state once again and began to rebury the girl-child's mother.

The girl-child ran up to _xhir_ now that he was done and tried to take one last peek at her. "She looks the same, but not," she said, tilting her head one way and then the other as she looked down at her mother.

"Removed memories," said Suel as _xhe_ shuffled up to her and began to replace the rocks from before. He made sure that each one had a proper place and so this time the mound was a much more ordered thing, well sealed and protected in case something from the caverns below did try to uncover her.

"Where is she now, then?" asked the girl-child.

Suel handed her the sphere of memories to her. "In here," _xhe_ said. She looked at the memories, enchanted by them as they swam through each other. "Now come," _xhe_ said, turning to leave the cave and begun the process of restoring her to her own herd.


	5. Ch5 A True Name

It was approaching dusk by the time they left the cave and the girl-child turned to _xhir_ as if to ask where they were going to go. Suel had no trouble moving through the night but the girl-child was looked tired, no matter what she said in protest.

"I'm just as tough as you," she said, steeling her eyes shut and scrunching up her face in deep concentration. As she focused, her skin waivered and changed tone for a moment before shifting back to its normal pinkish red color. "See? Just like you!" she said with a great big smile.

Suel frowned. "No," _xhe_ said without another thought. They went on for a ways longer and when _xhe_ looked back at her again _xhe_ found that some of her memories were dancing on her skin, as was true after any proper shift, however short the shift may be.

"Perhaps, after all," said Suel, as _xhe_ glanced over the memories. Most of them were from her time swimming in the cave, but several others came from a prior time, back from when the girl-child's mother was alive.

"Come and learn," said Suel, gesturing with _xhir_ claw to come forward to _xhir_.

The girl-child didn't move other than to lean forwards to _xhir_. "Learn what? More shape-shifting?" she asked with big smile.

"Name,' said Suel.

The girl-child was at _xhir_ feet in a shot. "The shaman needs a big ceremony to give a name. Are you going to do a big ceremony?" she asked eyes wide.

"No," said Suel as _xhe_ prowled around her. A few of her memories still danced across her skin, many of them had faded away again and so Suel could gather no more from than _xhe_ could before. _Xhe_ sent _xhir_ sense out and tried to see if _xhe_ could catch more of her memories that way but there was no such luck. _Xhe_ found a few deeper aspects of the memories that danced across her skin, but nothing substantial that added to _xhir_ knowledge of her.

As _xhe_ watched the memories dance across her skin, _xhe_ saw that they were returning to a central location in her body. _Xhe_ followed of the memories and found that it had settled back into a singular point in her mind before it began to flow through her again. _Xhe_ tried to delve into the point a few times but whenever _xhe_ tried to touch it _xhe_ would flow away from it, repelled by the current of will that guided the memories through her body.

_Xhe_ sat back on _xhir_ haunches and watched as the rest of her memories sank back into their respective homes in her mind and resume flowing with their brethren. _Xhe_ looked at the girl-child, examining her memories for a point of weakness and was surprised to find that there were none.

"Have you figured out my name yet?" asked the girl-child as she started to wiggle where she sat and play with her feet.

"No. Hush,' said Suel, starting in another circle around her. The memories had all withdrawn from her skin and had returned to the point in her mind, sealing it tighter than anything _xhe'd_ ever seen although her emotions continued to flow out from it. A thought occurred to _xhir_.

"Shift again," asked Suel as _xhe_ watched the point in her mind.

"Will it help?" asked the girl-child, looking up from her toes and into _xhir_ eyes.

"Yes," said Suel.

The girl-child squirreled her eyes shut and the patterns of memories began to dance across her skin once again, sending ripples of change wherever they went.

Suel took only enough time to confirm that she was indeed shifting before _xhe_ delved into her mind again.

The pinpoint of memories had come, if not undone, then loosed, like a knot that had been fed more rope. _Xhe_ delved into the pinpoint and saw the swarm of memories flow around _xhir_ and watched her life unfold in front of _xhir_.

It began with incomprehensible noises and flickers of shadow and light, crashing and careening into each other with no rhyme or reason. As time went on, the noises and images grew ever more stable with the aid of the girl-child's mother _(mummy)_ and another, older woman _(gammy)_ who soon vanished from the surge of memories. _Xhe_ watched as the girl-child's mother _(mummy) _helped to teach the girl-child _(self/Mai)_ how to walk, how to run and how to hide.

_Xhe_ saw her mother _(mummy)_ always set up fire pits _(home/safeplace)_ the furthest from everyone in her herd _(EagleClan)_, no matter what the time or occasion was _(sadness/longing/confusion)_. _Xhe_ watched as the other girl-children and boy-children of her herd _(playmates/hurtfulones) _rejected her out of hand _(confusion/longing/sadness) _in an apparent imitation of their own parents' _(mummies/daddies)_ rejection of her mother _(mummy)_ and her.

A nightmare rose up in her mind and an image of _xhirself_ _(demon/horror/fear)_ came to pass. _Xhe_ saw her herd _(EagleClan)_ turn tail and run, putting all thoughts of how strange _(witchery/evil)_ they _(family/mummy&amp;me)_ were behind them. They continued to run as _xhe_ _(demon/horror/fear)_ came ever closer to them until the confrontation in the cave _(darkplace/deadplace/changeplace)_.

The pinpoint of memories shuddered and began to seal. Suel worked faster, flying through the rest of her memories as _xhe_ tried to find a single, central aspect of her being, one that might stand for who she was as 'Suel' stood for who _xhe_ was. As the pinpoint closed and forced _xhir_ out, _xhe_ saw other things working in concert with the memories, aspects of her that until now _xhe'd_ rejected as being a true part of the body.

Her fear, love, courage; all of the various parts of men that would have been just another meal for _xhir_ under other circumstances were now shown to be as deep a part of her as _xhir_ memories were to _xhir_. True, they were regenerative and delectable, but they were important nevertheless. So while Suel on the verge of leaving her body, _xhe_ took in everything _xhe_ saw and in that moment, _xhe_ knew her, perhaps better than she knew herself.

"Are Boh," _xhe_ said to her and settled down onto _xhir_ paws to rest. Or rather, _xhe_ tried to settle down onto them. It was then that _xhe_ realized _xhe_ felt different than before. _Xhe_ was still Suel but there was a hint of something else there now as well, something that had not been there before. _Xhe_ felt smaller, more vulnerable; _xhe _felt, for the first time in the long time, changed.

"Look different," said Boh, dripping with sweat and taking deep gulps of breath as she reached to touch _xhir_. The memories of her shifting danced across her skin in more vivid lines than before. It showed hints of what Suel now knew was her true name and nature while still concealing it within a mountain of flesh.

Suel reached to touch _xhir_ own face and found that _xhe_ had been reshaped while _xhe'd_ explored the pathways of Boh's being. _Xhir_ hands were hers and as _xhe_ felt at _xhir_ face _xhe_ found that it was hers as well. _Xhe_ had taken on her form.

_Xhe_ sighed and began to shake it off, beginning the shift back to _xhir_ preferred form. _Xhe'd_ gone to all fours and had begun to shift when _xhe_ saw Boh step back with a look of what _xhe_ now realized was a mix of surprise and fear on her face. _Xhe_ considered shifting anyway, but in light of _xhir_ new understanding, _xhe_ decided against it. _Xhe'd_ found her name and that made her _xhir_ responsibility until such time as _xhe_ could find a better caretaker for her.

Instead, _xhe_ drew on the faded images of the males from her herd and molded _xhir_ body after them, adding bits of a few of _xhir_ preferred shapes as _xhe_ went. _Xhir_ body lengthened and stretched until _xhe_ towered over Boh, muscles thickening and bulging outward as _xhe_ grew. Only when _xhir_ arms were thick as tree trunks and _xhir_ legs were elephantine in their girth did _xhe_ stop shaping _xhir_ body.

As for _xhir_ hair, since Boh's kind didn't have fur coats _xhe_ just did the best _xhe_ could. _Xhe_ grew out the hair on _xhir_ face until it went midway down _xhir_ chest, bristling it out as it grew. The hair on _xhir_ arms grew shaggier as well, until _xhir_ arms were awash with a dark black hair. _Xhe_ considered growing out the hair on the top of _xhir_ head until it too was a long shaggy thing but in the end _xhe_ decided to go the other way and made it hairless instead.

_Xhe_ was quite pleased with _xhir_ new form; sure that it would strike fear into the hearts of all who met _xhir_. _Xhe_ may not look bestial anymore, but _xhe_ would at least be intimidating.

"Shouldn't you cover up? We're always supposed to cover up," said Boh as she looked over _xhir_ new form.

"Why?" asked Suel.

"Because everyone else says we should," replied Boh.

"No real reason," said Suel as _xhe_ began to saunter towards the traces of fear her tribe had left behind when they'd run from _xhir_ a few days before.

"Well, mummy always said we should cover up or they'll think we're bad," said Boh as she ran to catch up with _xhir_.

This gave Suel pause, more so than before _xhe'd_ delved into her memories. Boh's mother was a stalwart defender of her and so if she thought that clothes were important, _xhe_ would at least give her some measure of comfort.

Her memories had imperfect recollections of what males wore, so instead _xhe_ sharpened one of _xhir_ new fingers into a long blade and sliced open a part of _xhir_ hand. _Xhe_ caught the fear essence as it bled out, using part of it to seal up the wound. For the rest of the essence, _xhe_ spun out the fear and wove into it _xhir_ memories of the warriors from the cave. _Xhe_ took some time meshing and combining items until they were a unique mimicry of what they'd worn.

It didn't take long to put on the clothes as the memories in them knew where they should sit on _xhir_, correcting and prodding _xhir_ in the proper direction when _xhe_ was wrong.

"Better?" _xhe_ asked, spinning a bit so that Boh could see the complete ensemble.

"You need a spear too," said Boh after a she'd looked it over.

"Need no spear," said Suel, crossing _xhir_ arms in a firm rejection of the notion.

"The warriors all have spears and you want to look like a warrior, right?" countered Boh.

Suel grumbled but opened the wound again and let a few more drops of fear essence fall out. These _xhe_ did not strip the fear from. Instead, _xhe_ gathered up the fear _xhe'd_ stripped out before and added it as _xhe_ lengthened the droplets into a mighty weapon. When _xhe_ was finished, it rumbled in _xhir_ hands and vibrated with furious purpose, howling into the wind when _xhe_ gripped and slammed it into the ground.

"There," said Suel, offering it out to Boh for her to examine.

"It does look like a spear," she said as she brushed her hand along it. "But it doesn't feel like a normal spear," she added, jerking her hand away as if it was a beast that was about to bite her.

"Better then," said Suel as _xhe_ hefted the spear upwards. It cried out for release, begging to be sent at a target, so Suel hurled it at a tree on the distant horizon. It left _xhir_ hand with a loud crack and slammed into the tree a moment later, splitting it down the middle where it hit. Suel then raised _xhir_ hand and the spear returned to _xhir_. Suel picked out the few pieces of tree that had remained on the spear and tossed it into the air a couple of times before _xhe_ was sure of it.

"The spears the warriors in my clan use can't do that," said Boh as she looked at the spear with wide eyes. She reached out to touch the spear again but jerked her hand back when she got close to it and instead just looked at it.

"How terrible," said Suel as _xhe_ looked _xhir_ spear once more and grinned. While _xhe_ could see no need for it in _xhir_ preferred form, in this shape it might be useful, poor and defenseless as it was.


	6. Ch 6 Resurrection

"I don't think that the warriors in my tribe can throw spears at things over a mile away," said Boh as they walked to retrieve Suel's new spear. Or rather, as Suel walked to retrieve it, as Boh was busy riding on _xhir_ shoulders.

"Do not try hard enough," said Suel as _xhe_ loped onward towards the boulder _xhir_ spear had split open.

"They also throw it overhand," she added when they arrived at the spear.

Suel reached out to pluck _xhir_ spear from the split remains of the boulder. It was stuck in a little more than _xhe'd_ realized and _xhe_ had to give the spear a good yank before it came free. The boulder crumbled to dust after it came out.

"I don't think rocks are supposed to do that when you pull thing out of them," said Boh.

"Throw," said Suel. _Xhe_ plucked Boh off of _xhir_ shoulders and placed _xhir_ spear in her arms. She staggered under the weight and bearing of it before she was able to get a grip on it and heft it up onto her shoulder. Even then she tried to keep as far from the spear as she could, as the fear that made the spear had fermented and was now a vibrant, hateful thing that snarled at any attempt Boh made to control it.

"Cease," said Suel to the spear and the spear's violent shuddering stopped, although there was still a dark hum about it.

"Throw," said Suel to Boh again, gesturing out at a large, nearby tree.

Boh took a deep breath, gripped the spear by the middle of the shift, and hurled it. It began to flop down to the ground but at the last minute the spear gave out a loud, angry howl. It then changed directions, racing along the ground until it slammed into the tree.

The tree burst into thousands of little splitters.

Boh looked on in silence, eyes wide and her face pale. "Most of the spears that I've seen don't seem to have minds of their own. The hunters just throw them and then fetch them up afterward. They don't throw them and watch them change direction and make things explode."

Suel looked at the tree, then back to Boh; then _xhe_ shrugged. "Hits targets," said Suel as _xhe_ ambled over to the remains of the tree to fetch the spear once again.

Boh opened _xhe_r mouth, then closed it again and gave _xhir_ a curt nod. "It does do that," she said.

Suel picked up the spear and plucked a few pieces of wood off of it. _Xhe_ tossed the spear into the air and caught it a couple times before turning to go back to Boh.

"Hungry?" _xhe_ asked. Boh gave _xhir_ a little nod. Suel gripped the spear in the same way that _xhe'd_ seen Boh do it and then hurled it far up into the air.

The spear went up a long way, much further than when Boh had done it, although _xhir_ technique was only just better than hers. It lazed about through the air as it looked for something to attack. It spun a little as it searched until it twisted and changed direction, hammering downwards towards whatever target it had spied.

There was a rush of air that rocked Boh back onto the ground when it hit what it was aiming at. Suel plucked her up and set her atop _xhir_ shoulders and began to stride towards the impact crater.

"Spears don't do that, either," said Boh after she was settled in on _xhir_ shoulders.

"What, then?' asked Suel as _xhe_ strode forward. A pale white pillar of smoke began to steam up from where _xhe'd_ thought the spear hit down.

"What what?" replied Boh in a sing song voice, leaning forward onto Suel's head to get a better view of the smoke ahead of them.

"What do they do?" asked Suel, sounding out each word in _xhir_ mind before _xhe_ said it aloud.

"What do what do?" asked Boh in the same sing song voice as she used before.

"Spears. What do they do?" asked Suel again, a slight growl entering into _xhir_ voice as _xhe_ asked.

"Spears get food and they defend us," said Boh. She did not use the sing song voice this time.

Suel frowned. "From what?" _xhe_ asked as _xhe_ stopped to look down into the pit that had formed when the spear hit the beast it had targeted. The pit had a gradual slope that went down about five feet and was covered with a thin layer of ceramics from where the clay and loam of the soil had been turned by the fire. At the bottom of the pit was the beast the spear had slain, an elk. Its meat had been blackened and burned where the spear hit it. The meat beyond that ring of _burning_ was cooked to varying degrees of brownness. The fur was flaking off as the steam rose from its body.

Suel lifted Boh from _xhir_ shoulders and set her on the ground beside _xhir_ and then _xhe_ knelt down in front of the dead elk and began to strip it of its meat. _Xhe_ made the mistake of making the attempt to do this with human fingers, having forgotten that this form didn't have the sharp claws most of _xhir_ other bodies did. _Xhe_ focused and reshaped _xhir_ hand into something more suited for rending and tearing and then stripped off a few pieces of reasonably well done meat for Boh and _xhirself_.

_Xhe_ didn't think that _xhe_ needed the meat, but every so often it was good to give _xhir_ body sustenance that would add to its physical prowess as opposed to just relying on _xhir_ well of emotional energy.

Boh, on the other hand, tore into the meat, ripping off large chunks with her teeth and not chewing it for the most part. Suel was only halfway through _xhir_ own piece when Boh asked for another piece. Suel stared at her in astonishment.

"I guess I was a little hungrier than I thought I was, since I just don't feel very full yet," said Boh as she eyed the elk meat.

Suel reached to tear off another, larger piece of meat and then stopped. "Answer first," _xhe_ said to her, sitting back as _xhe_ did so.

Boh stared at _xhir_ with wide eyes before recognition crossed her face. "Oh! Yes. Spears defend us from raiders, witches and demons like you," she said with a bright smile.

"Raiders, witches and demons," said Suel, _xhir_ voice flat and _xhir_ eyes narrowed.

Boh nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh! Well, not all witches, I guess, since they didn't drive away my mother and me," said Boh, adding it almost as an afterthought.

"What are witches?" asked Suel. _Xhe_ took a large bite of _xhir_ elk meat and took time to enjoy it while _xhe_ waited for Boh to respond.

Boh didn't say anything right away. She slowed her eating, chewing on her meat in little bites instead of ripping off the big chunks that she'd been doing. Sometimes she would wipe off the grease from her chin, often succeeding in just spreading it out over her face.

_Xhe'd_ begun to reach for _xhir_ second piece of meat when Boh responded; squirreling her eyes shut and speaking very slow as she did so. "Witches are servants of demons. They curse our clan, our hunts, our land and all the things we love. They are raised up by demons and monsters and sent to plague the world while in their service."

"Really," said Suel, _xhir_ expression unchanging.

Boh wilted. "Well, that's what the shaman says, at least," she said, slumping down as she began to munch on her meat again. "Mummy said that if that was all true we wouldn't be outsiders."

"Smart," said Suel before _xhe_ ripped off a chunk of meat and _slurped_ it down. _Xhe_ choked for only a moment before _xhe_ shifted _xhir_ throat so that _xhir_ breathing and eating pipes wouldn't interfere with each other again.

Boh stared down at the meat in her hand, not picking at it at all. "I wish mummy was still here," she said, more to herself than to Suel.

"Is here," said Suel as _xhe_ took another chunk out of _xhir_ elk meat.

"Do you mean this?" said Boh as she fingered the little ball of light that contained her mother's memories. "I mean really here," she said, dropping it back down against her neck and going back to her meat.

Suel frowned. "Still here," said Suel as _xhe_ reached out to tap her mother's memory sphere.

"No, she's not. She's not here and it's all your fault!" said Boh, throwing the meat at Suel and storming out of the little pit they were in.

Suel watched her leave and didn't go after her. _Xhe_ assumed that she'd figure out that her mother was still with her soon enough and then she would return. _Xhe_ turned _xhir_ eyes back to _xhir_ meat and continued to eat. When the chunk of meat _xhe'd_ been working on was done, _xhe_ tore off another piece and began to eat it as well.

It wasn't until _xhir_ forth piece of meat that _xhe_ began to become concerned. Suel was sure that Boh wasn't in any danger, but a little voice inside _xhir_ said that this wasn't acceptable behavior, so _xhe_ sighed and pulled _xhirself_ to _xhir_ feet and left the pit to retrieve Boh.

It wasn't hard to find her once _xhe'd_ set _xhirself_ to the task. She'd left a trail behind her, covered with little wet specks of sadness and anger. Those little specks, in turn, led to the base of the tree that Boh had thrown her spear at before.

Boh sat on the ground, leaning up against the little stump that was all that remained of it. She'd pulled her knees up to her chin and clutched her arms around her legs to keep them close. She sniffled as she sat and stared out into the distance. Suel looked up and tried to spy what it was she was looking at, but soon found that the only thing she was looking at was the distant horizon.

"Boh," _xhe_ said as _xhe_ approached her.

She didn't respond, continuing to just look out into the distance.

"Boh," _xhe_ called again, a little louder this time.

"Go away!" she said to _xhir_, stifling a loud _snirk_ with her hand as she sniffled again.

"Why?" asked Suel, settling into a crouch behind the tree.

"Because you're a big ol' monster and don't know anything at all," said Boh.

Suel sighed and stretched out _xhir_ arm until it was next to Boh. "Sphere," _xhe_ said, hand flat and palm open.

Boh looked at _xhir_ hand like she'd never seen it before. "What?" she asked.

"Demonstration needed. Sphere," _xhe_ said to her, opening and closing _xhir_ fingers a few times to emphasis _xhir_ request.

Boh bit her lip and took off the necklace with her mother's memories in it and then dropped it into Suel's outstretched hand, arm quivering all the while.

Suel pulled _xhir_ hand back and set to work the moment _xhe_ felt the memories hit it. Suel reshaped one of _xhir_ fingers into a dagger and slit _xhir_ wrist open to let _xhir_ gathered fear essence flow out once again. _Xhe_ then shifted the wound shut and began to prune out the fear from the raw emotional essence. _Xhe_ didn't cast the fear aside, but rather ate it. It wasn't much, but it did something to replenish what _xhe'd_ just given up.

Once the emotional essence was separated out, _xhe_ took the memory sphere and began to weave the essence into it. The sphere began to grow and change shape as soon as the essence touched it. It expanded and transformed, becoming more and more humanoid with each drop of essence Suel wove into it.

Boh, meanwhile, had turned around on the stump and watched in silence with bright, wide eyes as the sphere took on a more intimate form.

The body had a bit of trouble choosing a firm shape the more human it became. It would warp from an emancipated, tiny thing to full and rich body with each once of essence Suel wove into it, so _xhe_ wove a few of _xhir_ own memories to shore it up. Nothing large or world shattering, just _xhir_ memories of what she looked like as Boh sat over her and grieved so that the body would have a base from which to grow.

It was enough, and the moment they found their place in its new structure the various conflicting shapes coalesced into one shape. It wasn't the one from _xhir_ memory, but rather it seemed to be a compilation of all the various things she had ever been, young, old, healthy, sick, as well the things she might have been.

It was a true shape, a real shape, a shifter's shape. But at the same time, it was very, fundamentally, human.

Suel began to turn back to Boh to show her that this was indeed her mother before withdrawing what power _xhe'd_ poured in, but then something occurred to _xhe_. This form contained its own shape and a core of memories, the most basic start of any shifter. The memories needed a guiding hand to give them stability and more power to drive them, but that was all.

Suel wondered if it was possible to turn these memories into a new shifter? Boh had already shown _xhir_ that men could shift, if shown the way. Did that mean that the memories of a man spun out into the body of a shifter would also become a shifter? It would have a different perspective than most, but how different would it be? To Suel's knowledge, it had never been done. Then again, there had never been reason to do it before.

Boh was reaching out to touch the wisp of her mother's memories when Suel decided and snatched her back away.

"What are you doing?" cried Boh, rushing up to _xhir_ to wrench free her mother.

Suel turned from her. "Birthing," _xhe_ said as _xhe_ on the process at hand.

Suel laid her mother on the ground in front of _xhir_ and ripped open a wound again. _Xhe_ spun out the emotional essence of power, as _xhe_ had done before, but now _xhe_ also spun out _xhir_ blood, bones and physical nature as well. _Xhe_ didn't have much of it, but it was there and it hurt to remove it, but it was a needed pain. New shifters needed physical bodies more than grown shifters, for they had little to work with beyond themselves.

_Xhe_ was glad that the body was a full grown one, even if was a man's body. This meant that although _xhe_ didn't know how it was structured, it knew, so the blood and bones flowed into their proper spots along with the essence that provided the backbone of any shifter's nature. Soon enough the body began to look less wispy and was almost as solid as _xhir_.

The only thing missing was the outer flesh that all men had, and that was an easy enough fix. Suel just used _xhir_ sharpened fingers to rip out chunks of skin and plastered them on her, smoothing them out along the lines the body had taken. Once incorporated into the body, the skin reformed how it liked until it was a perfect match from before.

A final thought occurred to Suel and so _xhe_ tore off a chunk of _xhir_ new beard and attached it to the body's head. It shimmered and the near black hair became less bristled and boar like and became auburn in color, and wavy and bouncy in texture.

Suel stepped back, near exhaustion from _xhir_ efforts, and watched the body make its own finishing touches now that _xhe'd_ pour enough power and drive into it to allow it to protect itself.

It became a small thing, light and lithe compared to other man females _xhe'd_ seen. Its face was pointed and its eyes narrow. Its skin was, of course, smooth and unblemished and its body was very well proportioned for a man female.

As _xhe_ watched the body make the final, finishing touches of what it wanted to be, _xhe_ saw the final change come over it as memories and body merged into one being. In that moment _xhe_ saw _xhir _name painted across _xhir _body.

Iamae. It was a name unlike any _xhe_ had ever heard. But _xhe_ was a new thing, a different thing, a beautiful thing in some ways, so the name fit. As it should.

"Still here," said Suel, panting from the effort of what _xhe'd_ done.

Iamae open _xhir_ eyes and gasped as _xhe_ took in _xhir_ first breath of air. _Xhe_ looked around wild eyed as _xhe_ took in _xhir_ surroundings until _xhir_ eyes found Boh, who had been sitting away from _xhir_ this entire time, hesitant to approach, fear and longing and hope pouring out of her.

"Dear one," said Iamae as _xhe_ reached for _xhir_ daughter and all the fear vanished from Boh.

"Mummy!" cried Boh as she leapt over the stump into her mother's waiting arms and nuzzled into them, crying all the while.

Suel grinned at her happiness and then leaned back and watched the world fade into darkness.


End file.
